Click It or Ticket begins May 19

PANAMA CITY—Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) D3 Secretary Larry Kelley was joined today by Panama City Police Chief John Van Etten, Gulf County Sheriff Joe Nugent, Maj. Eddie Johnson of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), State Representative Jimmy Patronis, Panama City Mayor Scott Clemons and local law enforcement to remind Floridians of the importance of safety belt use.

“Regular safety belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce motor vehicle crash fatalities,” said FDOT D3 Secretary Larry Kelley.  “Thousands of people die needlessly on Florida roadways every year.  That many of these fatalities could have been prevented by taking a couple of seconds to buckle up is not only tragic but senseless.”  

FDOT’s goal for the 2008 Click It or Ticket campaign is to raise the state percentage of safety belt usage to 85 percent.  In 2007, Florida ranked 35th in the nation in percentage of safety belt usage (79.1 percent).  In 2006, the most recent year for which Florida traffic crash data is available, 2,103 people were killed in vehicles equipped with safety belts.  Of that number, 61.9 percent (1,301) were not wearing safety belts.  In Bay County alone, out of a total of 46 traffic fatalities in 2006, 13 were a result of not wearing a safety belt. 

“More than 20 percent of Floridians fail to buckle up regularly,” said Maj. Eddie Johnson of the FHP.  “When worn correctly, safety belts have proven to reduce the risk of fatal injury in a crash by 45 percent in sedans and by 60 percent in pickup trucks, SUV’s and minivans.  Using a safety belt is just common sense.  There is no reason to put your life at risk when you are driving or riding in a vehicle.”

The safety belt enforcement campaign will take place May 19 - June 1.  During those weeks, law enforcement will be increasing normal patrols and enforcement activities.  In addition, law enforcement will be practicing a zero tolerance policy for safety belt usage.  If a person is stopped for any traffic violation and is caught without wearing a safety belt, he or she will be ticketed.

The Panama City Click It or Ticket press conference is one of 10 that will be held across the state the week of May 12-16, 2008, to raise awareness of the importance of safety belt use.  For more information about Click It or Ticket, please visit [ http://www.clickitfla.com ]www.clickitfla.com.